The Broken Red Strings Of Fate
by sctwilightvampwolfgal
Summary: Even if they were soulmates, Cat Noir and Ladybug found themselves with other people as a relationship built on lies and secrets didn't seem at that promising nor did it seem right to reveal themselves to each other.


"Promise me, you'll move on." She pressed his hand closer into hers, paw and fingers intertwining in a strange array.

"I don't think I can." Black paw tightening over her black and red fingers, and he presses closer, mask brushing her fingers and reminding her of this world of secrets between them.

"You deserve better than this." She presses closer as if he's become her drug, and she can't help but long for more from him and this ramshackle relationship.

"No, you are purrfect." The pun falls out before he can stop himself, and suddenly he's caught by her pretty blue eyes that sparkle like gems even as tears collect in them.

"Cat Noir, you can't stay with me. Whoever you are beneath the mask deserves better than a relationship built on secrets like it is with me." She presses closer despite herself, loving this relationship despite herself.

"Ladybug, I only want you." He barely breathes the word when she accidentally kisses him before she pulls back shamefaced and pale.

"I have to let you go, Cat Noir." She took a deep breath, finding the words that refused to stay on her mind, "I've never been the one to domesticate you."

His bright, green eyes lock on her as if memorizing everything about her from her blue bell eyes to her dark hair and the way she stands, half pressed against him now.

"I-I want you to be the one." It's soft and broken, but she smiles when she hears it anyway.

"I've fallen in love with who you are with your mask, and I know that we can't make it work out between us, not like this, and probably not ever." Ladybug hates the way her throat tightens up and the way she trembles and aches under this realization.

"Ladybug, I love you too. Why can't we try a little harder together this time?" He presses his lips down on her hands that are hidden under the spandex of her suit, and just the feeling of them there makes her tremble all over again.

"Cat Noir, we can't live this relationship like this. We don't know who each other is, and we need to stop distracting ourselves with each other anyway." Ladybug took a deep breath, "Besides we can stay friends and crime fighting partners." It feels like a shaky compromise, and Ladybug hates the feeling that clogs up her throat and heart at the thought of that.

"Ladybug, we can make it work." Cat Noir insists as he presses closer to her as if trying to tie two red strings of fate together.

"Stop deluding yourself, Cat Noir." Ladybug pulls away from her somewhat boyfriend though it takes all of her willpower to do so.

"I-I want us to be more, Ladybug, to stay more." He's practically in tears, and that alone tears apart her heart.

"I know." She breathes carefully after barely choking those words out in a seemingly composed tone of voice; she's falling apart on the inside, feels her heart drying up, but knows that she needs to leave this romance behind.

"Ladybug," He turns away from her, tears now hidden as he faces away from her now before choking out one last word, "'Bye."

He's gone like a shadow in the night, and Ladybug slumps briefly hearing Tikki as she detransforms, "It's for the best."  
Ladybug doesn't feel all that great, but she doesn't say so; she knows that Tikki understands in at least some way.

* * *

It strangely doesn't tear Marinette's heart apart to hear that Adrien and Chloe are now a couple just a few months later; she's surprised herself by falling so in love with Cat Noir that her feelings for Adrien pretty much vanished.

Alya tries to placate her anyway before she realizes that Marinette doesn't care anymore and that Marinette has not quite left her sad funk; she pretends that she's normal and pretends that 'pound it' doesn't strangely hurt her.

Her heart feels so broken that she can't even seem to heal it.

Marinette insteads devotes herself to fashion design and hopes that whenever she manages to impress Gabriel Agreste one day with her designs that it isn't awkward; she hasn't had an actual conversation with his son in years after all, and she just knows that Chloe will say something snarky to her if she runs into her again.

She personally doesn't care anymore about that now; she gets his attention just two years later and quickly impresses the whole of Paris in one fell swoop that doesn't feel at all like a victory.

* * *

Marinette has started dating Nathanael or sort of dating him when she ends up outside the Agreste mansion's large and looming gate.

She's let in and surprisingly gets along with Gabriel much better than she thought she would and when she sees Chloe, she's oddly sympathetic and caring towards her.

Could she let them become friends?

She doesn't stutter in front of Adrien anymore when he comes down to greet her and wonders briefly if he's been allowed to go to that college that he'd supposedly applied for instead of modelling for the rest of his life.

He has a normal conversation with her, and she briefly speculates why he looks at her so weirdly now; she accidentally admits that she's went on a few dates with Nathaniael, and Adrien smiles at that, "That's good for you."

Marinette doesn't know what else to say, but, "Thank you." The conversation dies down shortly later and wasn't as awkward as Marinette thought it would be.

* * *

A few months later, Adrien's engaged and at that university; she doesn't see him in the Agreste mansion anymore.

Marinette doesn't mind at all, devoting herself to fashion and slowly starting to develop some kind of feelings for Nathanael that don't even come close to her feelings for Cat Noir, whom she hasn't seen in a while.

The Akumas are quieter than normal right now, and she relaxes under the moonlight of Paris after the attacks and just thinks.

She's starting to feel more alive now though can't quite settle on what meaning there is to that when Tikki finally admits something that Marinette wishes that she'd keep to herself, "You know Cat Noir and Ladybug are supposed to be soulmates?" It's soft and quiet, but it feels too loud as if Marinette is standing right by a large bell when it goes off.

"That doesn't help me out in anyway." Marinette takes a deep breath as Tikki just stares back at her.

"You and Cat Noir are with different people." She takes a deep breath, and Marinette doesn't retort that she knows that Nathanael is not Cat Noir and that Cat Noir's probably moved on by now.

"Tikki, we can't risk exposing our identities." Marinette barely lets the words leave her lips; he'd just love her for Ladybug anyway.

"I know, but usually they end up together regardless." Tikki mutters and watches the way Marinette's eyes cloud in minor irritation and mostly sadness.

"May be the next Cat Noir and Ladybug will end up together, like our children or something." Even though she knows that it's highly unlikely that their children will be blessed with their Miraculouses anyway.

Tikki sighs, but doesn't say a word more.


End file.
